A Party

It was the last lap.

The cheers from the audience were getting louder and louder. Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth and mustered all the strength she had left to make the final sprint.

She had been dancing since she was young, and her physical prowess was considerably excellent. However, running could still be very demanding, and dangerous, to boot.

She caught a glimps of Ming Jing's figure in her periphery. The distance between them was getting shorter and shorter. Zhu Xiangxiang's chest tightened.

She braced herself for the last spurt, but she suddenly felt her calf twitch. In the next instant, it was engulfed in a stabbing pain.

She was having a cramp!

Even so, Zhu Xiangxiang endured it and pushed forward. The finish line was just in front of her. She just needed to hold on a little longer.

Before she even knew what was happening, Ming Jing breezed past her. She was the first to cross the finish line.

Zhu Xiangxiang barreled through soon after, her face pale, her chest heaving. She bent over with her hands on her knees, gasping for air.

It hurt to even just raise her head, but she did it, only to find Ming Jing standing a few feet away. Her eyes were calm, and her cheeks held the faintest rosy hue.

"Ming Jing, 3 minutes and 15 seconds."

"Zhu Xiangxiang, 3 minutes and 19 seconds."

The P.E. teacher turned and beamed at the two of them. "Your results are both good!" he praised.

"Especially yours, Ming Jing. I saw that you have a good grasp of rhythm and energy. Have you done much sprinting in the past?"

Ming Jing wordlessly shook her head.

The teacher's eyes turned pensive then, and he peered at her for a moment longer. Compared to most of his other students, who collapsed to the ground after a brief bout of running, this child was very special. She had true talent.

A minute and a half later, Tao Xingxing jogged over and let out a roar as she threw herself on the track in exhaustion. Just as the P.E. teacher had envisioned.

Zhu Xiangxiang took some time to catch her breath before walking up to Ming Jing. "I lost."

Ming Jing looked her straight in the eye and said, "I didn't agree with the bet."

Zhu Xiangxiang gaped at the other girl. As expected she was just a dull and boring little nun.

The other students were staring at them in similar expressions of shock and disbelief. The reason why Zhu Xiangxiang was praised as the campus belle was not just because she was beautiful. It was because she was gifted in every other aspect—morals, intelligence, and even physical aptitude. She never fell short at anything, and very few could beat her on the 800-meter dash.

Now came along this unknown girl—a first year—and she had actually won against their goddess. She had made it look effortless, too.

Just like that, Ming Jing's name spread throughout the campus like wildfire.

During lunch break, she walked into the cafeteria and was treated to the rare experience of being a celebrity.

"Look! It's her! She won against Zhu Xiangxiang."

"But she doesn't look very pretty, does she?"

"Maybe she's only gifted in strength and nothing else, haha!"

The malicious comments came at her from all directions, causing Tao Xingxing to clench her fists in anger. "These jerks are really starting to annoy me!"

Ming Jing, on the other hand, turned a deaf ear to all the mockery. To cultivate the ways of Buddhism, one must first cultivate the heart. If the heart wasn't moved so easily, then one would not act so rashly.

Once again, Tao Xingxing was mesmerized by her friend's fortitude.

But her attention was grabbed by something else in the next second. "Hey, Jiang Jinchen is here again!" she muttered as the trio walked past them. "Is the sun rising from the west now? Why has he been coming to the cafeteria for lunch recently?"

"That's right," Gao Chang said in a teasing voice. "How come you're eating in the cafeteria every day? I thought you didn't like it here? Or have you taken fancy to one of these girls, hmm?"

Jiang Jinchen ignored him and went up to the counter to order a set meal. Then he looked for a quiet corner to sit in.

As it so happened, Ming Jing was sitting squarely in the same spot.

Gao Chang's eyes immediately brightened. "Well, hello there, beautiful. We meet again."

His tone was full of cheek, and he didn't hesitate to sit right across the table from her.

Ming Jing didn't even flinch and just continued to eat slowly.

As simple-minded as men often are, they could be very obtuse at times. The more Ming Jing ignored his antics, the more excited Gao Chang became. Truly, beauty was in the eyes of the beholder, and for him, no one was more beautiful than Ming Jing, not even Xi Shi herself.

"I heard that you beat Zhu Xiangxiang in the 800-meter dash today. Very impressive. Please accept my knee as I bow down to you."

Gao Chang prattled on and on, but Ming Jing treated him like air.

He eventually began feeling some measure of embarrassment. "By the way, there's going to be a party tonight. Do you want to go with me? There will be good food and a lot of fun."

He was expecting Ming Jing to refuse, so he was pleasantly surprised when she nodded.

His mood spirits catapulted back into the air. "Really?" he exclaimed. "You're really going with me?"

"I want to bring Xingxing with me."

"No problem."

Tao Xingxing's jaw hung open, so wide that it could probably fit an egg. Her face was all flushed with excitement.

Her? Attend a gathering of the rich and popular second-generation heirs? She never thought she would have such luck in this lifetime!

Meanwhile, a bunch of girls had perked up upon Jiang Jinchen's arrival, and they had been observing the boys since. Gao Chang ranked second to Jiang Jinchen in terms of popularity, but after seeing him being friendly with a girl like Ming Jing, they couldn't help but sneer. "What is so special about that plain-looking girl?"

How did she manage to catch Gao Chang's attention? She might be tall, that's about all that was admirable about her.

"Hello, Senior." Li Jiajiao appeared out of nowhere. "Can I sit next to you?" She had come up next to Jiang Jinchen, holding her tray and smiling sweetly at him.

She had obviously put a lot of effort into her makeup today. She even had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, making her look like a charming and tender girl.

Jiang Jinchen gave a curt nod, and Li Jiaojiao happily sat opposite him.

"So I heard Senior Gao talking about a party you guys are having tonight. Can I go, too?" She blinked innocently at them, which usually dissuaded anyone from refusing her.

But before Jiang Jinchen could reply, Gao Chang waved his hand. "Of course, you're welcome."

Jiang Jinchen shot him a sideways glance, but said nothing.

"May I bring Zhao Zhen along?"

"No problem. The more the merrier. You can bring as many friends as you want."

"You're so nice, Senior Gao," Li Jiaojiao said earnestly.

And those who knew her for who she truly was would have shivered at that very moment. This scheming woman was just too terrifying.

Zhu Xiangxiang was standing a few feet away, watching the scene play out. Her grip tightened on the tray she was holding, to the point that the tips of her fingers had turned a little blue.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Sun Ji approaching. An idea came over her. Zhu Xianxiang lowered her head and walked forward without looking up, bumping into the boy in the process.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" she quickly apologized. "I'm so sorry. It was an accident."

Sun Ji's first instinct was to lose his temper and lash out at the idiot who ran into him. But then he realized who it was, and his annoyance turned into elation. "Oh. You're not injured, are you?"

Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head, her eyes wide and apologetic. At that moment, she looked very pitiful.

It was no secret that Sun Ji was interested in her. Once, not too long ago, he had even pursued her in such an ostentatious manner. In doing so, his rejection naturally came in an equally flamboyant manner, albeit in a more painful manner. In the end, he had no choice but to give up on Zhu Xiangxiang.

"Ah, give me your clothes. I'll have them dry-cleaned, then sent back to you."

She glanced down at his shoes, a pair of limited-edition sport sneakers forever ruined by vegetable soup. "I'll pay for the damages. Just tell me how much your shoes originally cost, and I will transfer the amount into your account."

Sun Ji waved his hands in front of his face. He was just about to tell her to forget it when a light bulb turned on over his head. "Then, how about you add me on WeChat as a way to compensate me?"

Zhu Xiangxiang agreed, of course, and Sun Ji was over the moon.

It was at this point that Situ Lin saw him and beckoned him to their table. "Hey, Old Sun! Get over here and sit with us!"

Sun Ji paused and hesitated for a moment. "Xiangxiang, are you busy tonight?"

He had just the right opportunity to get closer to his goddess.

She looked blankly up at him. "Why, what's up?"

"If you really want to pay me back for what you just did, then accompany me to a party tonight."

Zhu Xiangxiang's heart jumped inside her chest. She had made the right gamble.

"But…" she said, feigning a troubled look.

"It's settled, then!" Sun Ji immediately said, unwilling to give her a chance to refuse. "Wait for me at the school gates after school."

And then he fled, making a beeline for Situ Lin.

Zhu Xiangxiang just stood in place and watched him go, but her lips were secretly curling into a satisfied smile.